The Second Annual Eagle Expo will be held in Morgan City on February 8-10, 2007. This year’s events include a series of boat tours into Lake Verret, Bayou Black, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway via Bayou Boeuf and the Atchafalaya Basin. Other events include a welcome reception, an evening social and dinner with presentations at the Louisiana State Museum at Patterson sponsored by America’s Wetlands Campaign, breakfast, seminars and a picnic lunch at Brownell Memorial Park, a designated birding sanctuary.

The Eagle Expo is a tribute to the return of the American Bald Eagle, which was recently lowered on the endangered species list. Thanks to laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and increasing public awareness and education, the number of bald eagles returning to Louisiana has increased tremendously. Currently, there are 256 active nests in Louisiana with a large concentration in the St. Mary and Terrebonne Parish areas.

The Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau has partnered with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, America’s Wetlands Campaign, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Brownell Memorial Park & Carillon Tower and volunteer birding enthusiasts to host an event that will showcase the American Bald Eagle along with numerous species of birds and wildlife found within the Atchafalaya Basin and surrounding areas.  The Eagle Expo is another step towards marketing the Cajun Coast as an eco-tourism destination. The inaugural Eagle Expo was held February 3-4, 2006, and sold out with nearly 50 participants, including some out-of-state visitors. This year, the CCVCB will be able to accommodate nearly 100 participants on boat tours in search of these majestic birds.

For a complete event schedule, costs and a registration form, please visit the Eagle Expo website, http://eagles.btnep.org or contact the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau at (985) 395-4905.